


The Day the Music Died

by ConinDraconir



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Angst, Death, Gore, Lots of Angst, Song Parody, dealing with the aftermath, episode 83 spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-29
Updated: 2017-01-29
Packaged: 2018-09-20 15:40:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,156
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9498758
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ConinDraconir/pseuds/ConinDraconir
Summary: This is episode 83 spoilers. Massive ones. DO NOT READ IF YOU'RE NOT CURRENT.That being said, I blame Megan (dancer4813) for not stopping me when I told her I had a bad idea.This is from the perspective of Grog in the aftermath of the battle in episode 83, and the implications and revelations of events that happened during the fight.





	

Grog landed easily from his leap, his mighty legs absorbing his weight as he closed on Raishan, the Diseased Deceiver, the last dragon of the Conclave. _She’s on the ground. I can hit her when she’s on the ground. For a dragon that’s supposed to be so smart, she’s being kind of dumb. Usually the dragons fly away because they don’t want to be hurt. And I make them hurt._

He cocked his arm back, letting fly his new hammer. It thudded into the dragon hide with concussive force, and then disappeared and reappeared in his waiting hand. He threw again, and then a final time when the hammer came back again. With each mighty blow, Raishan staggered but retained her footing.

Grog looked around quickly. He needed to know where his new pack was, his family and friends. He needed to keep them safe if something bad happened. He thought he saw Percy lying on the ground, but Kerr was standing in the way. The older adventurer raised his glowing hammer ( _I need to get one of those. It’s shiny and looks strong._ ) and in what seemed like slow motion, swung it through the skull of the green dragon. Grog heard the satisfying crunch of bone and the squelch of blood being forced out, but was awestruck when he saw that Kerr had not only dealt a strong blow, but a fully fatal one as the head of his warhammer exploded with light. The dragon’s skull caved in, lost all its shape, and the large form of the lizard crumpled to the ground.

_Kerr-Bear, you are amazing._

Before Grog could go congratulate his new companion on the great kill, though, the old paladin rushed back to Percy’s body. Grog could see now that Percy wasn’t just down. _His insides are on his outside. Oh shit._

He heard voices over the earring as the battle rage began to fade, and he felt his heart drop into his boots. “I’m alive,” he said softly, knowing his friends were taking stock of the situation.

_Scanlan. Pike. I don’t hear them. Where are my buddies?_

Pike came sprinting around one of the walls of the cavern, and Grog felt a rush of relief upon seeing her. She was probably just healing people. And now she would save Percy. Again. _Where would we be without you, little Monstah?_

But there was still no answer from Scanlan. Panic began to edge into Grog’s mind. “Whe…where…where’s Scanlan?” He finally said into the cavern, hoping someone had an answer.

There was a loud intake of breath as Percy was brought back into life by Grog’s oldest friend. _Thank you Pike. You always save everyone._

“Are we all here then?” Hope started to edge away the panic, and was immediately shattered as the twins responded.

“Scanlan’s down,” Vex started, but was overwhelmed as the voice of Vax echoed around the cavern.

“GROG!”

The only sound Grog heard was his pounding heartbeat as he rounded the corner to the scrawny half-elf. He had his head bowed, and the limp body of Scanlan hung there.

“No. No! NO!” The roar of rage echoed around everyone standing, making them flinch back at his anger. Grog never got angry at his pack, he got angry for them. But right now…his rage was threatening to overtake him again. “Fix him! FIX HIM!”

Dust fell from the walls at the sheer force of the sound. He started to see red, but managed to keep it quelled for the moment. “I tried,” Vax said weakly, tears already coursing down his face.

“Well somebody do something,” Grog mumbled, emotions racing through him. Anger, rage, panic, protectiveness, betrayal. But over everything else: Fear.

The next few minutes blurred for Grog. He knew he spoke to the others, but he was starting to feel lost. This was Scanlan. Aside from Pike…this was Scanlan! He didn’t know what to do. This was his buddy.

And then it hit him. It was so simple. Vax handed Scanlan to Grog, and Grog did his best to still look sad as the rest of Vox Machina tried to go open the door they couldn’t open. He stepped back a bit, and brought Scanlan closer to him so he could whisper to him.

“Hey, buddy. Just you and me right now. Everybody else walked away. I know you’re like, really good at pranks and all that. And I know you still were mad at Vax for like, not listening, like he never does. And you’re a really good actor, so you fooled everyone pretty good. But you can’t fool me. I know you’re just playing. You’re just trying to get Vax to think more, right? Just nod once to let me know you’re ok with me knowing. I won’t tell anyone until we leave.”

But no motion came from Scanlan. No sound came from the small gnome. He didn’t crack a smile at how crafty Grog had picked up on his game. It was only then that Grog realized how cold Scanlan’s small body was starting to get. Grog almost fell to the floor with the shock of it.

_No. You can’t be dead, for like, for real. You’re Scanlan! You sing a song, everyone laughs, and we’re all better for it. We need your music._ I _need your music. I need you, Scanlan._

Grog looked up to see the door still closed. He softly put Scanlan back in Vax’s arms as his mind started to focus on one single thing. He needed to hit something. _Oh look. A door._

The power of the Titanstone Knuckles flooded through him as his bones extended and his muscles inflated with mass. He swung his now massive fists into the door, not caring if he hurt himself in the process. Grog couldn’t make intricate plans. Grog couldn’t hit things in the air, and he certainly couldn’t fly. He didn’t have any magic spells. He certainly couldn’t sing and cheer people up that way. But he could hit things, really, really hard.

Over the thud of the knuckles and the splintering door, his imagination proved him wrong as he heard a song, in the style and voice of Scanlan Shorthalt, echo in his brain.

“Bye, bye, little Scanlan gnome guy

Came to fight a dragon, and man did I try

If we make it out, I hope that Pike doesn’t cry

But I’m singing ‘bout how I die

This is my song of goodbye…”

Grog roared in fury at the outcome of this battle, at the lack of magic that could help Scanlan, at this door…at himself. He still wasn’t strong enough to protect everyone he travelled with.

The door shattered, and rocks came tumbling out, a cloud of dust pushing back into the room. The group turned to go back the way they came, and none of them noticed the single tear that ran down Grog’s face.


End file.
